BACKCASTING

All product line choices based on a single vision

As a start-up within the electric vehicle realm, Polestar needs to pick its battles. Strategic choices based on the Polestar vision: 'Net zero progressive performance.' For example, producing a fully autonomous vehicle that functions like a robo-taxi is better left to other companies. For Polestar, pilot assist and autonomous driving is probably of most use on a highway, when you are commuting to work and you really would like to put the car into auto-drive and do something else like reading or preparing for a meeting or just relaxing. Such strategic choices have design implications, for example, the focus on higher driving speed and tailoring the turn, the high demand for a immediately impact the aerodynamic

Setting a new standard requires a clean slate

Polestar's basic models are already very well-dressed with standard 'options' when sold. This standardisation provides the customer with the fastest delivery and best experience, and likewise prevents costly customisation. The new all-electric SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) technology platform, shared with Volvo, takes efficiency to a whole other level. 'It's like a guitar: two different musicians can create completely different music with the same instrument,' the Polestar CEO has pointed out.

This new platform approach drives economies of scale, but moreover its modularity enables the possibility to upgrade the car's software and hardware during its lifecycle (e.g., changing the core processor).

Polestar has been more open about its future models than many of its peers and rivals. The new models won't steal sales from existing models as each of the new releases focuses on a different kind of usage. The upcoming Polestar 3, 4 & 5 will help the company in its aspiration to grow 10-fold by 2025.